The Sooners simply landed a Cowboy.
Oklahoma added a giant piece to its 2023 switch portal puzzle when Oklahoma State defensive finish Trace Ford introduced his dedication to play for his previous Bedlam rival.
Ford, a first-team All-State participant at Edmond Santa Fe High School, initially selected OSU over provides from Arkansas, Baylor, Florida State, Iowa State, Missouri, Oregon, Utah, Washington State, amongst others – however was by no means provided a scholarship from the Sooners’ earlier teaching workers.
Brent Venables and his workers have rectified that.
Ford, a junior defensive finish at OSU this season, redshirted the 2021 season after lacking the entire yr with a second ACL harm, and can have two years of eligibility left.
The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Ford earned honorable point out All-Big 12 accolades in 2020 and 2019. As a freshman in Stillwater, Ford was named the Russell Okung Award winner because the group’s excellent newcomer.
Still battling again from harm all through 2022, Ford performed in 9 video games as a junior and logged 265 defensive snaps earlier than one other knee harm ended his season in early November.
He graded out at 57.2 % general this season, however that included a powerful 70.8 % in cross rush conditions, based on Pro Football Focus, which ranked sixth on the group. His cross rush grade was 69.6 in 2020 and 61.9 in 2019.
He completed his OSU profession with 59 complete tackles, 8.5 quarterback sacks, three compelled fumbles, 14 passes defensed and an interception.
Ford performed 486 snaps as a real freshman and 388 as a sophomore, and totaled 1,139 profession snaps as a Cowboy, per PFF. His 9 quarterback hurries in 2019 ranked because the second-highest single-season mark in class historical past.
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On Wednesday, Venables spoke of getting to switch six inside defensive linemen and 9 general throughout the entrance after commencement, NFL and portal departures. Ford matches the profile properly as an OU edge defender.
“That’s a bunch of guys all at once on your defensive line,” Venables stated.
Ford joins Notre Dame switch Jacob Lacey, who Venables stated will doubtless play on the inside, as skilled newcomers on the OU defensive entrance.
“Jacob’s a guy that we really are excited about being here at mid-year,” Venables stated.
Ford was additionally an impressive participant on particular groups at OSU, with 40 snaps on numerous groups as a real freshman, 65 as a sophomore and 48 as a junior – the final of which produced a team-leading grade of 91.6 on punt return and subject aim block items. That included a blocked punt that he returned for a landing towards Arkansas-Pine Bluff in September.
At Santa Fe, Ford was a group captain, made the dignity roll and was well known as one of many prime 5 prospects within the state of Oklahoma as a senior.
But Lincoln Riley and Alex Grinch didn’t present sufficient curiosity to supply him a scholarship, so Ford went on to have a few of his finest collegiate video games towards the Sooners, together with a sack in 2019, a season-high 4 tackles in 2020, and 1.5 tackles for loss. He missed the 2022 Bedlam recreation due to harm.
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